Both the NBA and the NBPA acknowledged during their recent Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations that players missing time due to load management is an issue for the league, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, who hears that it was a topic of much discussion during those negotiations. However, as Holmes details in an extensive Insider-only feature, neither side could come up with a silver bullet to solve the problem, which many view as “unfixable.”
As Holmes outlines, there are plenty of team officials who have advocated for a reduction of the NBA’s 82-game regular season schedule, which would perhaps be the most logical fix. Even having teams play just 72 games instead of 82 would allow the league to eliminate many of the back-to-back sets that often lead to players sitting out on either the first or second night. However, cutting back the 82-game schedule is widely viewed as a non-starter, given the lost revenue it would create.
Within his story on load management, Holmes also provides some new details on the 65-game minimum that the new CBA is implementing for players to qualify for postseason awards.
According to Holmes, players would have to log at least 20 minutes in at least 63 of those games for them to count toward the minimum. Sources tell ESPN that players would be permitted to play between 15-20 minutes in two games and still have them count toward the minimum of 65. These may be the “conditions” that Adrian Wojnarowski alluded to last weekend in his first report on the new CBA.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Veteran guard Chris Chiozza has signed with Spanish team UCAM Murcia, according to an announcement from the club. Chiozza, who has appeared in 91 total NBA games for four teams since 2019, spent most of 2022/23 with the Long Island Nets in the G League. His new contract in Spain is a rest-of-season deal.
- Former NBA lottery pick Shabazz Muhammad has joined the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, writes Dario Skerletic of Sportando, passing along a report from Chinese outlet CGTN Sports Scene (Twitter link). Muhammad signed a G League contract earlier this season as he attempted to make his way back to the NBA — he has since inked deals to play in Lebanon and now China.
- The NBA is hoping that its G League team in Mexico City is a first step toward opening up a pathway for more Latin American players to make it to the NBA, according to Ricardo Torres of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Load management unfixable?
About what I’d expect from the brilliant minds steering the NBA’s current direction
Nothing is unfixable, these guys are contracted players. There is almost no limit to what the NBA can enforce on the players if they want that money $$$
What are your thoughts on how to fix load management? I too find it a pretty tough one to fix.
For starters:
Pay reductions after 10 games missed due to injury, health, personal. Unexcused.
Having babies, funerals, and genuine emergencies are excused absences only.
Lets be honest if you have played sports at a higher level than high school. Rehab is a lot easier, and definitely more boring than actively playing full-time. Does it deserve full-pay? And should the team be penalized through the salary cap because of it?
Shouldn’t insurance cover this, and both parties can reconvene after rehab about contract details?
I see some give, and oversight needed on both sides of the ball if this is to be settled properly.
When you have both parties in disagreement, saying no way to everything will only delay the inevitable. A blow-up, or strike.
Fans hate the missed games, and will stop spending money, then that will force the sides to revisit key issues. Letting it fester is just going to make the break-up that much worse. Do something, or nothing at great peril in my opinion
Here’s a crazy idea, what about the team that has the higher seed gets home court through the entire series? That’s incentive !!
Well, I guess his deal with a Spanish club takes the possibility of Cheez joining the Nets for the playoffs off the table. It’s too bad he didn’t get a chance after the incredible season he had in the G-League.
“Load Management “
Hhhmmmmmmmmm !!!!
That must be it……. Knick Haters and Knick Geniuses…….. are all Knicked Up
A AAAAaaaa ………. Too funny.
Screw the in season tournament
At least buy it dinner first
It’s not a mystery. The obvious solution is to shorten the regular season.
Yes that would fix it but there’s no way that’s happening.
Or the teams stop forcing players to rest… or the players manning up & playing more… so many things to try before the last resort, right?
The whole load management narrative is why players today can’t compare to the past. Yes players are faster and quicker but their endurance is straight trash, which is more sad considering the game is physically easier. Less contact. Less back to backs. Longer timeouts. More stoppage between plays. There are some exceptions like Curry, but most of the league, if they played like 20+ years ago, they would quit half way through the season and cry about fatigue, just like Tatum did last year.
You seem to enjoy talking basketball a lot for someone who hates it so much.
You can watch old games in YouTube if you want?
All they can do today better is maybe shoot threes better and that’s it
players being babied is the issue
I’m sure with these kids wanted to sit out. I bet shabazz would play a game or two but I would look for Bruno. He is probably ready now
Load management is a derivative problem, and those will often be unfixable if the greater problem that spawned it isn’t fixed. The greater problem here is the relative unimportance of regular season excellence. Fix that, and load management will fade away.